Open Positions

Please Read First

I will be joining the Department of ECE at Purdue University in Spring 2024. I am looking for graduate students to work with at Purdue. Interested students are encouraged to apply to the Purdue graduate school and contact me.

Please read this page carefully before sending me an email as it contains answers to most of the questions that you might have.

Thank you for your interest in the WISEST Lab and our research activities. I receive an overwhelming number of emails from prospective students who wish to join my research group, but I regret that I cannot reply to all of them. Because I know how important the emails to the students who send them, I have put some information to help answer the most common questions that I receive from prospective students. Please read this before sending me an email.

WISEST's Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The WISEST Lab is committed to promoting gender and cultural diversity. We take pride in that about 50% of the current and previous students of WISEST are women or underrepresented minorities. Underrepresented and multicultural students are strongly encouraged to apply, including (but not limited to): Female, LGBTQIA, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Veteran of the US Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard, Disability. The WISEST Lab is fully supportive of the University’s effort to promote diversity as declared in the Diversity Statement. You may be eligible for an application fee waiver if you are from an underrepresented minority group. If you are interested in the fee wavier program, please email me before submitting your application.

WISEST Lab Seminar Series

We have weekly meetings to discuss research papers, share research progress, and practice presentations. Any UW-Madison graduate and undergraduate students are welcome. Participation is completely voluntary. You can freely attend when you are available and interested. It is a good opportunity to learn about our research and interact with our group for potential involvement in our research.

In Spring 2023, weekly meetings are held in 4610 EH at 4pm or 5:15pm every Monday, depending on the faculty candidate talk schedule. To receive seminar announcements, please subscribe to the WISEST Seminar mailing list.

To subscribe,

Send a blank email to wisestlab-seminar+subscribe@g-groups.wisc.edu
Within a minute or two, you’ll receive an email that includes steps to confirm your membership
Confirm subscription by replying to the email or clicking “Join This Group”

To unsubscribe, send a blank email to wisestlab-seminar+unsubscribe@g-groups.wisc.edu

Graduate Research Assistant Positions

If you are applying to our research graduate programs (PhD or MS Masters) and looking for a research advisor, please read this section.

Are you looking for a new graduate student for Fall 2023? If so, in what area?

Yes. The number of new students I will consider depends on the number of current students, funding availability, and other limitations that affect the effectiveness of my student mentoring. Generally, I try to hire one or two new graduate students each year. For Fall 2023, I hope to find one/two PhD student and one/two MS students who are interested in any of our research topics.

What can do you for me if I join the WISEST Lab?

As a mentor, supervisor, and teacher, I do my best to provide the following support to my graduate students:

(For PhD students) 5-year department-guaranteed funding (including full tuition), either as fellowship, research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or combination of them; and additional funding beyond 5 years as needed
(For MS students) Research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or combination of them, depending on availability (All of my MS students have received at least a 33% appointment with a full tuition waiver every semester.)
Dedicated office space and personal computing equipment
Access to WISEST lab space with cutting-edge equipment for embedded systems research, campus high-performance computing facility, and other research facilities (e.g., UW MakerSpace)
Support to attend major conferences
Weekly individual mentoring, weekly group meetings, and ad hoc meetings
Collaboration opportunities within and beyond ECE
Internship opportunities in major research labs
Fun!

I am interested in the WISEST Lab. How do I apply?

For me to find your application and pay more attention to it, please follow this instruction:

UW-Madison ECE has four graduate programs. I can work with students in the PhD or MS Research program. Apply to at least one of these programs.
In the Supplemental Application page, (1) select “Computer Systems and Architecture”, “Machine Learning, Signal Processing, and, Information Theory”, or “Communications, Networks, Privacy and Security” as your general research area of interest, depending on your interest and (2) include me as one of up to five faculty members you are interested in working with.
In your Statement of Purpose, please be specific on why you are interested in my research group. Simply listing our research topics does not really help.

After submitting your application, although not required, feel free to send me a brief email with your CV just once. (See below for what I want to see from your CV.) Do not send multiple emails asking for my response. Rest assured–I will make sure to contact you if I find your application interesting. Please understand that it is practically impossible for me to reply to every email I receive from prospective students.

What would like to see in my application?

Please provide detailed information on the following in your CV:

Relevant undergraduate and graduate courses you have taken, with grades and course project description (if any)
Research experience (research papers, technical reports, and independent study projects)
Tools, skills, and programming languages (and level of your competence)

You should have taken as many as possible of the following undergraduate courses. Equivalent courses are offered in many different names in different institutions. Please refer to UW-Madison’s course description to see if you have taken the necessary courses.

Digital System Fundamentals (ECE 352)
Introduction to Microprocessor Systems (ECE 353)
Machine Organization and Programming (ECE 354)
Embedded Microprocessor System Design (ECE 453)

These high-level courses are also recommended:

Design System Design and Synthesis (ECE 551)
Introduction to Computer Architecture (ECE 552)
Digital Circuits and Components (ECE 555)
Design Automation of Digital Systems (ECE 556)
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (CS 540)

I don’t expect that a candidate has the highest level of competence in all of these skills, but having as many experiences as possible will help you immediately participate in research.

Programming and HDL:

C/C++ (on embedded platforms)
Python and machine learning toolkits
Matlab
Verilog or VHDL

Hardware design and simulation:

PCB design (Altium Designer/Cadence OrCAD)
SPICE

Course or research project that involves:

Using a microcontroller (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi)
Using an FPGA SoC
Using a cloud computing platform (e.g., AWS)
Using machine learning techniques

How do I get an application fee waiver?

If you believe you are a strong candidate for the WISEST Lab and having difficulty paying the application fee, please email me your CV and indicate you are interested in a fee waiver.

If you are from an underrepresented minority group, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. If you believe you are eligible and interested, please email me.

Undergraduate Research Assistant Positions

If you are a current UW-Madison ECE undergraduate student looking for a research opportunity, please read this section.

Opportunities for Current UW-Madison Undergraduate Students

I love to work with our talented UW-Madison undergraduate students. We have many exciting projects that undergraduate students can contribute to and learn from. You can exercise your knowledge learnt in class and pick up new skills for advanced studies. I usually advised one or two undergraduate students each semester. Some students work for more than one semester, so the slots fill up very quickly. So contact me as soon as possible if you have interest in and would like to learn more about various topics on embedded systems, including, but not limited to:

Embedded systems design and implementation
Machine learning on embedded systems
Programming and digital logic design
PCB design and prototyping
Measurement and data analysis

I will consider students who have a solid GPA, some advanced (500+) undergraduate coursework in relevant topics (see below for the list of relevant courses), and/or some course/research project experience. Generally, the junior year spring/summer will be ideal time to join our lab, but students in their sophomore or senior year can also be considered. Students who can participate for a long period are preferred. Standing out in my class (ECE 353) would be the best way to get a chance to be involved in my research. If you are interested, please send me your CV and transcript to make an appointment.

See below for currently available positions.

NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Opportunity (Currently Closed)

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program provides undergraduate research opportunities. A few paid REU position is available. This program is supported by NSF.

Eligibility
- UW-Madison undergraduate student
- US Citizen or Permanent Resident (program requirement)
- Underrepresented and multicultural students are strongly encouraged to apply. See the Diversity Promotion section above.
Expected work hours: up to 20 hours per week, flexible depending on project and coursework loads
Requirement
- ECE 551, 552, or equivalent digital hardware design ability (required)
- ECE 554, or equivalent capstone design experience (optional, but highly preferred)
- ECE 315, or equivalent microprocessor system design ability (optional, but highly preferred)
Application process
- Complete your CV to include the following and send to younghyun.kim@wisc.edu
  - Applications received by August 15 (for fall positions), January 15 (for spring positions), or May 15 (for summer positions) will receive full consideration
  - Relevant undergraduate and graduate courses you have taken, with grades and course project description (if any)
  - Prior research experience (research papers, technical reports, and independent study projects)
  - Tools, skills, and programming languages (and level of your competence)
- State that you are interested in the “NSF REU” position
Stipend: $15/hour

Note: The availability and start date of this position is subject to the funding availability from NSF.

Independent Study (ECE 399 or 699) Opportunity (Open for Spring 2023)

I supervise up to two undergraduate students each semester through the Independent Study (ECE 399 or 699) research credit course.

Eligibility
- UW-Madison undergraduate student (mainly junior or senior, but sophomore can apply)
- Underrepresented and multicultural students are strongly encouraged to apply. See the Diversity Promotion section above.
Expected work hours: up to 9 hours per week, flexible depending on project and coursework loads
Requirement
- Should have taken at least two 300+ level courses in ECE or CS
Application process
- Complete your CV to include the following and send to younghyun.kim@wisc.edu
  - Applications received by August 15 (for fall positions), January 15 (for spring positions), or May 15 (for summer positions) will receive full consideration
  - Relevant undergraduate and graduate courses you have taken, with grades and course project description (if any)
  - Prior research experience (research papers, technical reports, and independent study projects)
  - Tools, skills, and programming languages (and level of your competence)
Stipend: Not paid

Have more questions?

Feel free to send me an email (younghyun.kim@wisc.edu). I will try by best to reply as long as it is not answered on this page.